I wake up to darkness. I reach over and feel something both rough and smooth. Is this rock? Am I in a cave? I struggle to stand and my back hits the hard surface behind me. Ouch! Once I gain my bearings, I realize that I feel short. Is that a light I see at the end of the tunnel? It must be a short cavern. I begin walking toward it, using the wall to keep from tripping. The closer I get, I can see a forest beyond the cave entrance. The closer I get, the more confused I become because the inside of the cave looks like it's made of tree bark. I cross the threshold and see that the cave is actually a huge tree. All of the trees surrounding me are very large.
"What are you doing here, boy?" A deep voice asks from nearby. I turn toward the voice and see a man with a strange mask. The mask is white and each corner has what looks to be two red stripes. Each eye has the shape of a red crescent moon beside it. He has brown hair.
What can I tell him? Is he dangerous? What if he can't be trusted?"
"Well?"
I really don't know what I'm doing here, or why. I guess I have to tell him the truth. I have no choice.
Status Update:
For thinking of possible danger with an unknown, your Wisdom stat has risen by 1. Wisdom affects the Gamer's thinking capabilities. The higher the level, the more mature the Gamer becomes.
Wisdom: 5
How do I get rid of this message?
Tutorial Message:
To close this update, say, or think, 'Dismiss'.
Dismiss.
The box disappears. The man in the mask is standing beyond where the message was, on a tree limb. He's staring at me. Finally, I say. "I don't know. I woke up in there." I point to the tree I came out of.
The man jumps off the tree limb and lands beside me. I fall onto my rear and watch as he peers into the opening of the tree. "Sorry." He says. "Didn't mean to scare you." He turns and comes toward me. He kneels. "I'm Tenzo. What's your name?"
Who am I?
Tutorial Message:
To look at your status, say, or think, 'Stats'.
It might be weird if I say that out loud, so I think it instead. Stats.
Name: Hisato ?
Level 1
Hit Points: 30
Chakra Points: 50
Chakra Control: 1
Strength: 1
Wisdom: 5
Dexterity: 1
Accuracy: 1
Stamina: 2
Luck: 3
Okay. So my name is Hisato.
Dismiss.
The second message disappears.
Dismiss.
The first message also disappears.
"Hisato."
"Well, Hisato. How about we go visit the Hokage?"
"What's a Hokage?"
"The Hokage is the leader of our village."
Am I in a village? "Are these trees the village?"
"These trees are part of the village. We're in a training ground within the village."
"Training ground?"
"Yes. And unfortunately, we're in the most dangerous one. This is training ground 44, also known as the Forest of Death."
"That sounds scary!"
A howl echoes off the trees from afar. Tenzo says. "It is. Come on. You shouldn't be out here alone. Perhaps the Hokage can help you find your parents? Wouldn't that be nice?"
It would. I nod.
"I can carry you. It'll be fun. How about it?"
"Okay."
Tenzo scoops me into his arms and I feel a rush go through my body. Everything goes dark for a few seconds. When the darkness lifts, I see we're in an office. There is a desk with multiple stacks of paper.
An old man is sitting behind the mountains of paper, signing one. He looks up. "Well, well, well. Who do you have here, Tenzo?"
Tenzo sets me down in the chair beside him. He kneels with his head bowed. "This is Hisato, Lord Hokage. I found him in training ground 44."
The Hokage puts down his calligraphy brush and leans forward. "Did you, now?"
"Yes, Lord Hokage."
"I see. I see." He looks at me. "Tell me, Hisato. Why were you in the forest?"
"I don't know. I woke up there."
"Who are your parents?"
Who are my parents?
Quest: Where Did I Come From?
Find out who your parents are.
Rewards: ? unlocked, ? unlocked, ? unlocked
Dismiss.
What can I say? What are these things I can unlock? After thinking about it for a few seconds, I say. "Mommy is mommy."
The Hokage leans back in his chair. "Hm." He steeples his fingers and places his chin on top of them. "Dog!"
A man appears in a swirl of leaves. He also wears a white mask. His silver hair is spiky. "Yes, Lord Hokage?"
"Get me Doctor Touma. Have him bring a DNA kit."
"Yes, Lord Hokage." The man disappears again. I watch the leaves fall to the floor. That's so cool! Can everyone here do that? Do I know how to do that? I stand up and hop in place.
The Hokage asks. "What are you doing?"
"Trying to make leaves like that Dog man did."
I hear Tenzo give a snicker. Was that funny?
I walk over to the leaves on the floor, pick a handful up and throw them into the air, doing another hop. "Why didn't it work?"
Dog man appears again with a man in a white coat. I walk over to him and pick up the leaves falling to the floor. I throw them in the air and hop again. I look up and see Dog man and the new guy watching me.
The Hokage says. "That move is a little advanced for you, Hisato. Perhaps you'll learn it in a few years?"
"Can I?" I ask.
"If you choose to do so."
I can't help but to give a cheer.
The Hokage says. "Now, Doctor Touma. I called you here today to get your expertise in the matter of DNA tests. This boy, Hisato, needs to have one done to determine who his parents are. He was found in the forests of Konoha, so I assume he's from here. His parent's DNA should be on file if this is the case."
Doctor Touma gives a nod. "Of course, Lord Hokage." He turns to me. "Would you sit in the chair over there? I'll extract the samples."
I don't like the way he said that. I don't know why. Extracting samples sounds bad. The Hokage, Tenzo and Dog man will protect me if I need it, right? "Okay." I do as I'm asked and sit back down.
The doctor kneels beside the chair and pulls out a wooden box. He opens it and it's full of doctor looking stuff. He picks up something that looks sharp. "Now, I'm going to extract some blood using this needle. You may feel a pinch, but it won't hurt bad." He places a hand on my elbow and it begins to glow green. A warm sensation spreads across the area.
"What's that?" I ask.
"It's a medical ninjutsu. I'm making sure the area is sterilized so that I can use the needle." His hand stops glowing. "Are you ready?" I nod. He places the tip of the needle into the crook of my elbow. A message pops up in my field of vision.
Tutorial Message:
Gamer's Body lessens pain by 50%.
Dismiss.
That's a good thing, right?
The doctor asks. "How old are you?"
My hand comes up on its own with four fingers held up. "I'm this many." How do I know that?
Tutorial Message:
Muscle Memory skill unlocked. Some actions will be performed without foreknowledge. This will happen until you begin to gain memories. In battle, Muscle Memory is needed to perform moves effectively. The more the skill is leveled up, the better it will perform.
Dismiss.
Battle? I don't get it. This time, a message doesn't pop up.
The doctor brings me out of my thoughts. "All finished. That wasn't so bad, was it?"
I look down at my arm. There's no pain and no mark.
The doctor says. "Don't worry. I healed you right up."
I nod.
The doctor takes out something that looks like a knife. "I'm going to cut a little bit of your hair, okay? It won't be much."
"Okay."
The doctor reaches over and begins to cut a few strands of hair. When he brings the hair toward him, I see that it's silver, too. Is Dog man my daddy? I look at him and catch him watching.
The Hokage asks. "How long until we receive the results?"
"Perhaps an hour at most. I can begin the process once I get back to the hospital."
"Very well. Dog. I want you to stay with the doctor and bring him once the results are available."
Dog man gives a curt bow of the head. "As you wish, Lord Hokage." He places a hand on the doctor's shoulder and the two of them disappear from the office.